Audio playback speed controls in IOS app

[Dan90]

In the December app update, I discovered that Dropbox had added speed controls for 1.25x, 1.5x, 2x playback. As well as also very useful skip back/forwards 15 seconds within the app itself.

I'm a corporate user who has to regularly review audio files - so the added controls were an invaluable timesaver for me. I had to review around 40 hours of audio in December as an example.

However having updated the app again in the last 24 hours (to 312.2), I've discovered these controls have been removed. I've logged a ticket with support, however they have suggested I post it as an idea here ... for which I'd be interested to know if others also found this useful. Am aware this can work on desktop, but I find the best experience to listen to audio can be had whilst mobile and on the move.

It would be really helpful if those that also used it and liked this feature could support this idea so that hopefully the feature can be re-introduced.

Thanks for reading! Dan.

[Walter]

This idea has been closed as it has reached the end of the Share an Idea process.

Thank you for your suggestion, and if you have another idea to share, please do! 

[Kay Yong Poh]

I really love this new audio playback feature and now it's gone.

I listen to audio files when I drive and sometimes I lose attention for a while, so the audio control to "Reverse" is most useful.

Please bring it back.

[kento]

The playback function was used to study English.
I am very disappointed that this function is no longer available.

I hope it will be restored!

[ZethUCF]

Why can we not adjust playback speed in app? Please add this important basic feature!

Oddly we we can adjust speed on computer or the website link in safari… Resultantly it gets me playing the links I’m sent from your website, and avoiding using the app since I like to playback at faster speeds. This is not what you want your users doing, is it?

As another member said, It would be great to adjust the playback speed in audios and videos directly in the dropbox app.

[Graham]

Hi @Dan90,

Thanks for sharing this idea with us! It certainly sounds like it is something that would make your work a little easier to manage. There also seems to be some good initial support for it here. Are there any other details that you can add that might appeal to others?

Likewise, if anyone else reading has anything to add, be it pros, cons or real life examples of how this could improve your experience with Dropbox, we'd love to hear them.

Thanks again and have a great day!

Graham

[Dan90]

Hello @Graham - Hopefully the feature set I've outlined is well known by the development team, as it had already been deployed in December before it disappeared in an update last week.

I just wanted to post here to see if there were fellow community members who had also had the opportunity to use the new audio playback speed features, and give them an opportunity to add support for returning this function if they so wished. I'm very happy that many people also found it useful.

I'll now go back to my audio project to listen at 1x speed.

(Yes that's a not so subtle hint that if the devs could roll back to return this feature it really would be appreciated!)

Thanks,

Dan.

[Graham]

Hi again @Dan90,

Thanks for your response. Let's see what the rest of the Community think of the idea over the coming weeks. Best of luck with it, and if there are any updates, I'll be sure to keep you in the loop.

Thanks again!

Graham

[ZethUCF]

@dan90 although they didn’t yet make it work in the mobile app (why?!…  this really would be very helpful if updated!)… just wanted to give you the idea that you can modify playback speed on the actual dropbox website if you don’t use the app. That’s been my workaround, playing on the actual website at increased playback speed and not using the app. 

[Dan90]

Thanks @ZethUCF - the feature that appeared in December was on the app, hence me starting this topic to ask for it’s return.

I have used the desktop speed control and that’s ok when I’m on a desktop.

Best listening experience for me is when I’m able to be on the move, walking or commuting, and with offline audio to save on data use/consistent playback. I’ll still default to this without speed controls, but I’m really keen to see when they can return. The frustrating thing was that they were in a previous update, they worked well, and then they were removed without much of a reason given.

Thanks,

Dan.

[ZethUCF]

@Dan90 yea I agree 100%. Really curious to why they would remove from the app features that seem so clearly helpful and important, especially if they’re leaving them on the website?!

just wanted to make sure you and others reading knew it could be done on the site. For me I walk and listen to long recorded audios and sometimes I just paste the link into safari to bypass the app to get the speed controls.

Cheers brother much love and Blessings✨ 

[Graham]

Hi @ZethUCF,

Thanks for visiting the Dropbox Community and for sharing this information with us here. Hopefully, some of the other members who have posted above will find it useful. It might not do exactly what this idea proposes, but it is definitely a helpful alternative.

Purely because my own curiosity has been piqued, what is it that you are listening to? Are you a musician, podcaster or something completely different? Same to you @Dan90, I'm just trying to get a better understanding of usage.

Thanks again and have a great day!

Graham